How to Create a Scheme of Work for a Training Course

How to Create a Scheme of Work for a Training Course

A scheme of work is the programme-level planning document that bridges your curriculum design and your individual lesson plans. It maps the full sequence of sessions across a programme, showing what is taught when, which learning outcomes each session addresses, how assessment is distributed, and what resources are needed — all in one structured document.

For training providers delivering multi-session programmes, a scheme of work is an essential planning and quality assurance tool. This guide explains what a scheme of work is, how it differs from other planning documents, and how to create one for any type of training programme.

What Is a Scheme of Work?

A scheme of work (sometimes called a course plan or programme plan) is a high-level map of a complete training programme. It typically takes the form of a table or grid that shows, for each session or module:

• The session number, title, and date (or week)
• The learning outcomes addressed
• The topics and content covered
• The teaching and learning activities planned
• The assessment activities included
• The resources and materials required

A scheme of work is a planning document — it represents your intentions before delivery. It is distinct from a lesson plan (which is a detailed delivery guide for a single session) and from a timetable (which shows when sessions take place but not what happens within them).

Why Schemes of Work Matter for Training Providers

For sole-trainer providers delivering a single programme, a scheme of work provides programme-level coherence — it ensures the whole arc of the programme is visible and intentional, not just the next session. For providers with multiple trainers or programmes, it becomes essential for consistency and quality assurance.

A scheme of work also serves several additional purposes:

• It demonstrates to CPD accreditation bodies that your programme is systematically planned
• It makes it easier to identify and address gaps — outcomes that receive insufficient time, or assessment that clusters at the end of the programme
• It supports induction of new or associate trainers, who can understand the whole programme quickly
• It serves as the basis for annual programme review — you can see at a glance what has changed between versions

Step 1: Gather Your Planning Inputs

Before you can write a scheme of work, you need:

• Your programme's learning outcomes
• The total number of sessions and their duration
• The delivery schedule (fixed dates, weekly, flexible)
• Your assessment strategy and assessment points
• Your content map (the topics and skills that need to be covered)

If you have already completed curriculum design, you will have most of this to hand. A scheme of work translates that curriculum design into a concrete delivery sequence.

Step 2: Set Up Your Scheme of Work Template

A scheme of work template is typically a table with one row per session (or week) and columns for each of the key planning elements. A standard template includes:

Session	Topic/Title	Learning Outcomes	Activities	Assessment	Resources
1	Introduction to...	LO1, LO2	Icebreaker, input, group discussion	Pre-course diagnostic	Workbook, slides

Adapt the template to your programme. Some providers add columns for differentiation notes, homework or self-study tasks, or cross-references to the student workbook.

Step 3: Distribute Your Learning Outcomes Across the Programme

This is the core structural task of scheme of work design. Map each learning outcome to one or more sessions, ensuring that:

• Every outcome is addressed — no outcome should be left unplanned
• Complex outcomes are introduced early and developed progressively across multiple sessions
• Outcomes that depend on each other are sequenced appropriately — prerequisite learning comes first
• The distribution is balanced — not all outcomes clustered at the start or end

Use a coverage grid if it helps: rows for outcomes, columns for sessions, with a mark in each cell where a session addresses an outcome. Gaps (outcomes addressed by no session) and overloads (too many outcomes crammed into a single session) become immediately visible.

Step 4: Map Your Content and Activities

For each session in the scheme, note the main topics covered and the key activities planned. You do not need the full detail of a lesson plan at this stage — you are working at a higher level, ensuring the overall programme has the right content mix, activity variety, and pacing.

As you map activities across the scheme, check for balance:

• Is there a good mix of instruction, practice, discussion, and reflection across the programme?
• Does the balance of trainer-led and learner-led activity shift as the programme progresses (more learner independence later)?
• Are there regular opportunities for formative assessment and feedback throughout the programme, not just at the end?

Step 5: Distribute Assessment Across the Programme

Assessment should be planned at scheme of work stage, not added as an afterthought. A well-designed assessment schedule:

• Includes formative assessment (feedback during learning) throughout the programme
• Distributes summative assessment (final judgement) across the programme rather than bunching it all at the end
• Aligns each assessment point clearly with the outcomes it is assessing
• Gives learners sufficient time to prepare for assessed activities

For learners, a visible assessment schedule in the scheme of work (or student handbook) reduces anxiety and allows them to plan their preparation.

Step 6: Calculate and Record Guided Learning Hours

As you complete the scheme of work, calculate the guided learning hours (GLH) for each session and for the programme as a whole. Include contact time, directed self-study between sessions, and assessment preparation time.

Documenting GLH in your scheme of work is important for CPD accreditation submissions and for assigning the correct number of CPD points to the programme.

Step 7: Review for Coherence and Manageability

Once your draft scheme of work is complete, review it as a whole:

• Does the programme have a clear arc — introduction, development, consolidation, assessment?
• Is the pace manageable — not too much content in early sessions, not too much pressure near the end?
• Are transitions between sessions clear — does each session build naturally on the previous one?
• Is the learner workload — including self-study and assessment — realistic given the cohort profile?

Schemes of Work and CPD Accreditation

A scheme of work is one of the most useful documents to include with a CPD accreditation submission. It demonstrates that your programme is planned systematically, that outcomes are covered proportionately, and that assessment is integrated throughout rather than bolted on at the end. Accreditation assessors can quickly verify that your programme's stated scope matches its actual delivery plan.

FAQs: How to Create a Scheme of Work

Is a scheme of work the same as a session plan?

No. A scheme of work maps the whole programme at a high level. A session plan (or lesson plan) is the detailed delivery guide for a single session. The scheme of work is created first; individual session plans are developed from it.

How often should I update my scheme of work?

Review and update your scheme of work after each programme delivery — incorporating feedback, addressing coverage gaps, and refining the sequencing. Apply version control so you can track changes between cohorts.

Does a scheme of work need to be a table?

A table is the most common format because it makes the programme structure visible at a glance. However, the format matters less than the content — what is important is that all the key planning elements are captured systematically.

Do I need a scheme of work for a one-day workshop?

A one-day workshop is typically better served by a detailed session plan rather than a scheme of work. Schemes of work are most valuable for multi-session programmes where programme-level planning needs to be visible and managed.

How does a scheme of work support associate trainers?

A scheme of work allows associate trainers to understand the full programme context before they deliver any individual session. It ensures they understand not just what they are delivering, but where it sits in the programme arc and why it matters.

Plan Programmes That Deliver

A well-designed scheme of work is evidence of professional programme planning. Combined with CPD accreditation, it positions your training as a credible, quality-assured programme that learners and employers can rely on. CPD.me.uk provides accessible accreditation for training providers committed to educational quality.

Register your interest today and take the next step towards an accredited training programme.